Lever control for automobile heaters



Aug. 20, 1929. T. BovEY Er AL LEVER CONTROL FOR AUTOMOBILE HEATERS FiledNw. 24, 1924 Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES THOMAS BOVEY AND SIDNEY J'. BOVEY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID SIDNEY J.

BOVEY ASSIGNOR F HIS ENTIRE RIGHT TO SAID THOMAS BOVEY.

LEVER CONTROL FOR AUTOMOBILE HEATERS.

Application filed November 24, 1924. Serial No. 751,905.

The present invention relates to means for operat-ing the control valveof an automobile heater.

In heaters of this character it is well known that when the valve hasnot been operated for a period of time deposits of carbon will be formedadjacent the valve which will cause the same to stick and prevent theready opening or closing of the same. The control -valves are usually ofthe butterfly type which comprises a metal plate mounted transverselyupon a rock shaft or spindle and suitably seated in the valve chamber,so that when the accumulation of carbon has practically scaled the valveplate in its seat it is usually a dificult matter to break away thiscarbon deposit by an ordinary manual pull upon the valve control device,not infrequent-ly bending the rods and levers or causing other damagethat results in an unsatisfactory operation of the valve. lVith thepresent structure the operator, by means of a gear arrangement which maybe augmented by a particular form of leverage, is assisted in theinitial movement of the valve plate so that the valve may be readilyopened.

It is a primary object of this invention to embody, in a compact form, astructure which will carry out the above mentioned functions in adependable manner. Another object of this invention is to provide avalve control device that is easy to operate, is simple in construction,requires but a minimum of parts, and which may be readily installed bypersons unfamiliar with the use of tools and the like. It is a furtherobject of this invention to provide a structure of this character whichhas few parts to assemble, which parts may be made from metal stampingsso that the production cost of the article is comparatively small andthe same will, therefore, not increase the cost of the heater orradiator.

lVith these objects in view, it is preferred to carry out the inventionin substantially the manner hereinafter fully described and as moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical side elevation of the improved controldevice and showing schematically its connection with the radiatorcontrol valve.

Fig.2 is a vertical elevation looking at the structure from the lefthand of Figure 1.

Fig 3 is a substantially horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a vertical side elevation showing a modified or simplifiedconstruction.

In the drawings similar reference characters have been employed todesignate the same parts wherever the said parts occur throughout theseveral views, and by referring to Figure 1 it will be seen thestructure preferably comprises a floor plate 5 of suitable shape, which,like the other elements of the device, is stamped from sheet metal of asmall gauge, preferably about an eighth of an inch in thickness andwhich, intermediate its ends, is provided with a longi tudinallyelongated slot- 6. Depending from the Vfloor plate,.and positioned in anopening 7 made in the floor boards of the vehicle, is an arm or bracket8 that is of somewhat segmental or horn shape, as seen in Figure 1. Thisarm or bracket 8 extends downwardly from the under side of the plate 5alongside the slot 6 therein and below the plane of the floor boards,and said bracket is provided with an offset portion 9 so that its lowerportion alines with the slot 6 in the floor plate. At or adjacent itslower end the bracket or arm 8 carries a gear 10 by means of a pin 11,said gear being preferably of segmental shape, as seen in Figure 1 ofthe drawings, and has' its marginal or peripheral portion offset as at12 in Figure 3, so that the gear is dished out to strengthen it and tobring its edge in the same plane as the lower portion of the bracketarm. A lateral finger 13, which is preferably radially disposed, isformed integral with the gear element` and upon its outer end isapertured to receive the lateral end portion 14C of a rod 15 thatextends therefrom to the crank 16 upon the spindle 17 of the valve.

Positioned in the elongated slot 6 of the plate 5 is a bar 18 arrangedtangentially to the gear member 10 and having upon its edge adjacentthereto serrations or teeth 19 to inter-engage with the teeth upon theperiphery of the gear member 10. This gear member or bar is guided andmaintained in vproper relation to the other gear member 10 by aguide-strap 20 that is formed integrally with the guide or bracket 8and, after assembly of the parts in their proper relation, this strap 2O(originally formed straight and flat in the plane of the arm 8) is bentover the outside face of the bar 18 into close proximity to the same andsaid gea-r member 10, as seen in Figure 1 of the drawings. Thisguide-strap not only maintains the bar in the desired position, but italso tends to assist in stabilizing the gear member 10 and is a verysimple and convenient structure for assembly. At its lower end the bar18 is provided with an enlargement 21 to prevent its withdrawal throughthe guide-strap 20, and the teeth thereon are so tormed that, when thebar is moved upward in the slot 6 of the 'iloer plate, they will restupon a protruding lip 22 that is punched upwardly at the adj acent endot the slot 6 of the loor plate.

ln order to assist the operator in making the inital movement of thevalve, 'the upper end of the bar 18, where it passes through the slot 6in the floor plate, is provided with a cam extension which is normally,when the valve is closed, in the position shown in Figure 1 of thedrawings. This cam structure, while it is in reality a lever of thesecondclass, comprises an extension 28, the lower end of which isbiturcated to provide spaced members 24- that straddle the upper end otthe bar 18 and are pivotally connected thereto by the transverse rivet,bolt or pin 2o, while at its outer end the extension lever is providedwith a cross piece 26 that provides a ready hand grasp for operating thedevice. The portion of the extension 28 adjacent the iioor plate 5 isprovided with an oblique edge 27, and beyond'the same is formedeccentric or cam shape as at 28 so that when the hand grasp 26 is beingraised to a vertical posi- .tion aligning with the rack bar the obliqueedge 27 will have been moved out of contact with the upper 'face of thefloor 'plate because the extension lever will have tulcrunied on the cambulge 28. Thus there is created additional power, due to the initiallyincreased leverage, which is sui'licient to -impart a movement to thecontrol devices and give an initial movement to the valve plate whichwill be found ample to break away the carbon and permit the operator topull the bar 18 upwardly as tar as desired. Stop pins 29 and 8O aredisposed transversely through the straddling spaced members of theextension and prevent movement thereof too tar in either direction.

Other types ot lever extensions or cams may be substituted for thatherein 'shown and described, the same, of course, coming within thescope oli-the present invention. lf desired, however, Vfor the purposeofsimplifying the construction, the bar 18 need not have an extension 23thereon but may be provided with a laterally extended portion 31 justabove the floor plate 5 to prevent its being moved down through the slot6 therein, and the hand-grasp 26 may be mounted upon the upper end ofthe bar a slight distance above the ioor plate, as seen in themodilication of Figure et of the drawings. Also, itmay be founddesirable to omit the lateral linger 13 of the gear member 10 and inlieu thereof to provide a crank member in the form of an elongated stripor" metal 52 which is separate from the gear member 10 but is mounted onthe spindle 11 so that it may be adjusted by the screw 33 and holes 3ftin the gear to divers positions with respect to the gear member 10 andthe crank 16 of the valve. Ot course, ii desired, the crank piece 32 maybe omitted.

lllhat is claimed is i 1. A valve control device comprising an aperturedloor-plate, a pinion rotatably mounted below said plate, a rack engagedwith said pinion and extended through the aperture in said plate, and anarm projecting from said pinion and having operative connection with thevalve, the teeth of said rack being also adapted to engage said plateadjacent tne aperture to maintain the structure in divers adjustedpositions.

2. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, curved andstraight gear members interengaged with each other, the former rotatablymounted below said plate and the latter reciprocable through theaperture in said plate and its teeth adapted to engage the edge of theaperture to support said straight member, and means extended from saidcurved gear member and operatively connected to the valve.

3. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, an armdepending from the under side thereof, curved and straight interengagedgear members, the former rotatably mounted on said arm and the latterreciprocable through the aperture in said plate and its teeth adapted toengage the edge of the aperture to support said straight member, andmeans extendedfrom said curved gear member and operatively connected tothe valve.

el. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, a bracket armdepending therefrom, a gear member rotatably mounted upon the lowerportion of said arm, a rack reciprocable through the aperture in saidplate and operatively engaged with said gear member, and its teethadapted to engage the edge ot the aperture to support said rack, andmeans operatively connecting said gear member to the valve.

5. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, 'co-acting'elements below said plate operatively connected to the valve, oneotsaid elements extended through said aperture, and means operativelyconnected to said last ment-ioned element whereby the operation of saidmeans in one direction imparts an initial movement to said elements andthe further movement of said means in another direction continues tomove said elements.

6. A valve control device comprising a supporting plate, co-actingelements below said plate operatively connected to said valve and one ofwhich elements projects above the plate, and a lever of the second-classpivotally connected to the projecting end of said-last-mentioned elementwhereby to impart an initial movement to said co-acting elements and thebodily movement of said lever further moves said elements.

7. A valve control device comprising an apertured floor plate, a pinionrotatably mounted below said plate, a rack engaged with said pinion andextended through the aperture in said plate, an arm projecting from saidpinion and having operative connection with the valve, the teeth of saidrack adapted to engage said plate adjacent the aperture to maintain thestructure in divers adjusted positions, and a cam operatively connectedto said rack, whereby the operation of said cam imparts an initialmovement to said rack.

8. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, curved andstraight gear members interengaged with each other, the former rotatablymounted below said plate and the latter reciprocable through theaperture in said plate, means extended from said curved gear member andoperatively connected to the valve, and a cam operatively connected tosaid straight gear member,

whereby the operation of said cam imparts an initial movement to saidstraight gear member.

9. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, an armdepending from the under side thereof, curved and straight interengagedgear members, the former rotatably mounted on said arm and the latterreciprocable through said plate, said curved gear member operativelyconnected to said valve, the plate, and a cam operatively connected tosaid straight gear member, whereby the operation of said cam imparts aninitial movement to said straight gear member.

10. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, a bracket armdepending therefrom, a gear member rotatably mounted upon the lowerportion of said arm, a rack reciprocable through the aperture in saidplate and operatively engaged with said gear member, means operativelyconnecting said gear member to the valve, and a. cam operativelyconnected to said rack, whereby the operation of said cam imparts aninitial nLonvement to said rack.

11. A valve control device comprising a supporting plate, a bracket armdepending therefrom, a gear rotatably mounted on said arm, a rackengaged with said gear, a lever of the second-class pivotally mounted onsaid rack, said lever fulcrumed against said plate and accessible abovethe same, and means operatively connecting said gear to the valve.

12. A valve control device comprising a supporting plate, a bracket armdepending therefrom, a gear rotatably mounted on said arm, a rackengaged with said gear and eX- tended above said plate, a lever of thesecond-class pivotally mounted on said rack and fulcrumed against saidplate, whereby an upward movement of said lever upon its fulcrum willinitially move said rack, and means operatively connecting said gear tothe valve.

13. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, an armdepending therefrom, a member pivotally mounted on said arm andoperatively connected to the valve, a reciprocable element co-actingwith said member, and a cam operatively connected to said reciprocableelement the operation of which imparts an initial movement to saidelement.

14. A valve control device comprising an apertured plate, an armdepending therefrom, a member pivotally mounted on said arm andoperatively connected to the valve, a reciprocable element co-actingwith said member and extended through said plate for actuating saidmember, and a lever of the second-class pivotally connected to theprojecting end of said reciprocable element and accessible from abovethe plate, the operation of which lever imparts an initial movement tosaid reciprocable element.

15. A control device, comprising a support, a wheel having a bearing onthe support, a reciprocable element having rotary engagement with thewheel, means connecting the wheel and a valve whereby the latter may beoperated upon the actuation of the wheel, means'on said supportengageable by said reciprocable element for holding said element in aplurality of positions, and a guide member on the support for guidingthe reciprocation of said element, for holding said element and wheel inrolling engagement, for limiting the tilting of said element when saidelement is being engaged with the locking means on said support, and forcooperating with the wheel and means on said reciprocable element forlimiting the movement of said element.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 20th dayof October,

SIDNEY J. BOVEY. THOMAS BOVEY.

